Where to travel in April

We should note up front that the Maldives get hot as the archipelago nation’s dry season comes to a close, with April averaging around 32 degrees Celsius. Don’t scrimp on the sunscreen! That said, the high-volume tourism will have died down to a reasonably dull roar by this time — and besides, you came to the Maldives to bask in the tropics, didn’t you?

With tourism somewhat reduced, you can more freely check Male Island’s historical attractions, including the National Art Gallery, National Museum, and Hukuru Miskiy (the island’s oldest mosque). The islands with incredible swimming, snorkelling, and marine-life-spotting opportunities will also be more accessible. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Milaidhoo Island is a must-see, as is the Sea of Stars along the shoreline of Mudhdhoo Island (a shimmering multicoloured phenomenon caused by bioluminescent marine life).

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April is an ideal month to visit Vietnam no matter where you’re going. The south — by far the country’s hottest region — averages 31 degrees Celsius during this month, but you’re just ahead of the rainy season. It’s a great time to visit hotspots like Ho Chi Minh City or the white-sand beaches at Phan Thiet or Long Hai, which will be moderately busy but not congested.

If the verdant greenery of the Central Highlands is more your speed, you’ll enjoy warm-but-not-overpowering average weather of 28 degrees Celsius. Explore the region’s flora and fauna in preserved settings at Yok Don National Park and Ea Kao Ecological Park, and you might be lucky enough to catch sight of a rare Indochinese tiger or wild Asian water buffalo. Central Vietnam also has legendary beaches of its own, around Hoi An and Danang.

Up north, April is quite nice, averaging a just-right 24 degrees Celsius. The mountains of Sa Pa and their terraced rice fields are much easier to explore. You can also appreciate the historical wonders in cities like Ninh Binh and the breathtaking views both high (Ngoa Long Mountain) and low (Lan Ha Bay).

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Although April is the hottest month for Costa Rica, the most extreme heat (of the 38 degrees Celsius variety) is right near the beach. Fortunately, several of the country’s most noteworthy national parks are much further inland, and there the temperatures are closer to the national April average of 28 degrees Celsius. Also, you’re at the end of the dry season and will get to enjoy a point of medium-low tourism.

For example, why not give the Arenal Volcano National Park a try and be awed by Costa Rica’s best-known active volcano? There are hiking trails for those of all experience levels, leading to the best spots from which to observe Arenal. Along these routes, you’ll spot endemic or rare Costa Rican species – numerous monkeys, peccaries, agoutis, and hundreds of bird species including the rainbow toucan.

For even more biodiversity, Braulio Carrillo National Park showcases thickly-forested mountains that are home to at least 600 trees species, more than 530 different birds, and at least 135 distinct mammals. If you’re interested in reaching a mountain peak where you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines, look no further than Chirripó National Park.

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Turkey is known for its moderate spring, with March through May rarely getting warmer than 26 degrees Celsius or colder than 10 degrees Celsius. This is also when tourism starts to grow, but not to the levels seen when beachgoers are making beelines for the Turquoise Coast along the country’s southwestern shoreline.

Hotspots like Istanbul and Cappadocia will be popular no matter what – so why not consider lesser-known regions for your Turkey getaway? Try Amasra, a Black Sea port town that local Turks visit themselves when they need a break, and enjoy boat trips, delicious seafood, and stunning Roman and Byzantine ruins. Or try Halfeti, a quaint coastal village in the Gaziantep Province that’s half-submerged and features ferry rides to Rumkale, an ancient fortress that’s at least 1,000 years old (and possibly much older). Alternatively, in Fethiye, you can travel from one hidden gem (Kabak Beach) to another (the remote Butterfly Valley, so-named for its rare insect guardians).

These are just a few examples, as Turkey boasts an amazingly diverse geography and a wide range of historical and cultural attractions. Leaning on the expertise of one of our local partners will help you make the most of Turkey in April.

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In the central Mediterranean, let’s consider Greece: it’s popular with travellers year-round, to varying degrees. But April offers an ideal combination of good weather (20 degrees Celsius on average, with some rain but little chance of a downpour) and mild-to-moderate tourist volume. Greece’s most famous islands, in particular, will just have “woken up”, and visitors won’t start coming in droves until early May.

Mykonos is justly known for its raucous nightlife. But if that’s not your thing, the island calms down considerably during the day. That gives you plenty of time to explore the Kato Milli (four famous white-stone windmills), the island’s well-renowned museums, and its charming blue-and-white residential architecture. Delos, meanwhile, is a history buff’s paradise, with monuments to Greek gods (Hera, Poseidon, Hermes, and more) and many other world-famous archaeological sites.

The black-sand island of Santorini offers the perfect mix of nightlife, historical attractions (such as the ruins of Akrotiri), and culinary highlights, while Corfu is a cultural centre for classical and contemporary Greek art, theatre, music, and opera. Last but not least, Paros features laid-back nightlife, an incredibly vibrant art scene, numerous wineries, and some of Greece’s most stunning beaches.

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April is a great month to visit just about anywhere in France. The weather is mild (mostly in the 16 degrees Celsius range, if occasionally rainy) and even Paris is mostly residents-only. That said, looking beyond the City of Lights could lead to truly remarkable experiences.

For example, the Jura region along France’s border with Switzerland offers a laid-back country environment in which to enjoy the local wine, cheese, and other cuisine – plus plenty of hiking trails to walk it all off! Over in the Loire Valley of central France, you’ll find agricultural festivals galore (Chaumont-sur-Loire’s International Gardening Festival and the Plants Festival in Montlouis-sur-Loire). Further east in Bourges, you can immerse yourself in French popular music at the Printemps de Bourges festival. And for a unique vacation that’s just as steeped in Italian culture as French, visit the island of Corsica; there, active travellers can hike and canoe, while those looking for leisure will love the beaches of Palombaggia and Rondinara.

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The weather’s still cold in the Swiss Alps (-1 degree Celsius), but some of the resorts will be closed by April. Your best option is Zermatt, which doesn’t close until April ends. You certainly won’t be sharing the slopes with that many tourists. That said, lowland Switzerland has much more pleasant weather (13-16 degrees Celsius), especially in cities like Lucerne and Bern. You might want to consider making these locales the centrepiece of your Swiss holiday.

Lucerne, known for its many historic bridges and the beautiful lake with which it shares a name, boasts an exciting fusion of classical and modern culture. It hosts the annual Lucerne Festival of classic and international music in April, but is also home to more contemporary (sometimes avant-garde) music and theatre. Meanwhile, Bern’s International Jazz Festival is in full swing during April, offering great tunes without massive crowds. The month is also a great time to visit Bern’s UNESCO-honoured Old Town, some areas of which are more than a millennium old.

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April is the peak of autumn in Namibia, so temperatures generally hover between 24-28 degrees Celsius. While the unique wildlife for which this southern African nation is justly famous won’t be as abundantly visible as in winter, you’ll still see some of the world’s most striking animal kingdoms.

Etosha National Park is a great place to start, in the Kunene region of northwestern Namibia. Travelling through its singular geography (a mixture of hills, salt pans, and savanna), you’ll see some truly rare and endangered species — including the black rhinoceros and black-faced impala — alongside abundant elephant and lion populations.

Alternatively, head further northwest to Damaraland. In addition to hosting the only free-range black rhino population alongside elephant, gemsbok, springbok, the occasional giraffe, and more, this striking landscape features fascinating evidence of early humankind. Countless cave paintings all over the walls of the Tsisab Ravine, at the foot of Brandberg Mountain, are a window into an Africa more than 2,000 years behind us.

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